Tucker was named the fourth head coach in Buccaneer Football history on January 8 and hit the ground running to assemble a class that will continue to upgrade the Bucs' talent level. CSU captured back-to-back Big South Conference championships and FCS playoff bids in 2015 and 2016, and Tucker is eager to see how this group can build on that tradition of success.

"This has potential to be one of our best classes," Tucker said. "We've helped ourselves a great deal and we obviously feel like we've hit on our needs and created some depth on our roster. Like any class, you never really know until they get on campus, but we feel very good about the young men and their families that are entering our program."

The class features eight student-athletes from Florida and seven in-state players from South Carolina. Both states have produced many outstanding contributors toward CSU's rise to national prominence.

"You need to have an in-state presence," Tucker commented. "It's always been very important to us to make sure we recruit the state of South Carolina. If we have an opportunity to keep young men in state, we do that. Florida has been very good to us over the years, especially up front defensively. Georgia has been good as well. We also extended into North Carolina and have some young men we're very excited about. Success has a way of boosting the recruiting dynamic of the school and the school's mission plays a huge part in that."

Despite staff turnover late in the recruiting period, Tucker is incredibly proud of the work his staff has done in shaping the class.

"With the dynamics of the coaching transition and not having all the pieces in place for a full staff compliment, our coaches have done an unbelievable job of bridging the gap and working with our recruits," Tucker said. "I'm incredibly proud of this staff. This is their class; I've had my part in it with the young men I've been recruiting, but this is their class. They're the ones who established the contact and bridged the gaps in helping the young men who committed prior to the transition. In all, these men have done an outstanding job and we've found the right fits in our program."

Tucker has served as CSU's quarterbacks coach for the last four seasons, and is entering his first year at the helm. CSU will open spring practice on Monday, March 13.